Paper Plates And Gray Ghosts (or) Who Ever Heard of Kirk Anyway?

I've written on the Enterprise before.

And, no, Trekkies, the real one.  The famous one.  The legend.  Not the goofy looking flying saucer.

But have any of you ever wondered which would win in a battle?

I have no doubt that fans of Star Trek have discussed (nay, argued) over which incarnation of their show's flagship is best.  I know that there are debates on who the best captain is.  And I know that fans of a galaxy far far away trade shots back and forth about which ship wins.  I don't mean any of that.

I mean which would win: the USS Enterprise (CV-6) or the starship Enterprise?

Yeah, I'm positing a slugging match between a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier and a starship from the 23rd century.  Maybe that's not possible.  At least, not without some modifications.

Buckle up, kids.

First, some "housekeeping."  Obviously, these two would not be able to meet in combat, nor are they designed for similar missions.  One is an Earth-bound ship built for war.  The other is a space ship constructed for long-term exploration.  Not only are their eras different, but the reason they exist is like night and day.  Then why am I pitting them toe-to-toe?

The reason is simple.  Since 1945, the name "Enterprise" has been inseparably connected with combat as the keystone of a fleet.  The fame she earned in the Second World War is why it was an appropriate name for a ship in a sci fi television series.  Familiarity.  Just like what Ford did with the name "Mustang."

Now, I rather like the reboot Star Trek films.  And I can understand the appeal of the original series and the spin-offs.  But I've never appreciated how they treated the name "Enterprise."  It is not a name for a ship of peace, sent out to explore and be a mobile diplomatic post.  A ship named Enterprise is a vessel meant to do one thing: win.  Think of this as similar to the stuff that EckhartsLadder does when comparing two ships.  So who wins?

To accomplish this, the two opponents must be able to meet.  I'm going to ignore any potential ability of the starship to "fly" in an atmosphere and basically "bomb" the ship.  Mostly because that changes the starship from a "ship" to more like a B-52 bomber or AC-130 gunship.  The way you fight with those is different.  And, incidentally, the right way when given a platform like the starship Enterprise.  No, for this the two need to meet as near equals.

That means either "transforming" the starship into an ocean-going warship or "morphing" the carrier into a star-craft.

Because there does not seem to be a comparable collection of small ships in the Star Trek universe, I'll be bringing the starship into WW2 as a "classic" warship.  If there are things similar to fighters, dive bombers, and such, then moving the Big E to space may be possible.  (If this was Star Wars, then it is easier to do.  Maybe next time.)

But what is the starship Enterprise similar to in the US Navy in the 1940s?  Cruisers.

USS Louisville (CA-28), a Northampton-class cruiser.  My grandfather served aboard her.

This makes sense, so follow along for a moment while I explain.  The cruiser is, historically, designed to be a long-range ship capable of independent operations.  Now, doesn't that sound like "5 year voyage" and "boldly going?"  Cruisers are decently armed, able to take on anything at their weight class and lighter.  Some were even up armed (or up armored, if your's is German) to be able to go against battleships (allegedly... maybe).  Fast and agile, these were the ships that gain the fame.  Ships like the Graf Spee, the SMS Emden, and the USS Constitution.  And, yes, technically "Old Ironsides" is a frigate, but in mission, and concept, she is the very definition of a cruiser or battlecruiser.

By the 1930s, cruisers were fitted with 8 inch or 10 inch guns for main weapons.  At least a half dozen lighter guns (5 inch, usually), and dozen or so light cannon and machine guns would round out the firearms.  Torpedoes would also be a common arm.  Cruisers often carried a few scouting floatplanes, both for finding targets far off, and for directing shots.  Later in the war, the planes would aid in rescuing downed aircrew or sailors stranded after their ship sank.

Cruisers have been the mainstay of fleets since the 1860s.  Battleships are the backbone, sure, and destroyers bring utility and numbers, but the cruiser is the jack-of-all-trades.  Even today, with the Ticonderoga-class, cruisers are the primary independent ships for navies that can afford to use them.  They are the jack-of-all-trades.  The Tico cruisers carry a couple advanced 5 inch guns, a few machine guns and auto-cannon, a pair of torpedo launchers, and 130 missiles.

I think it's a fair parallel for the design and purpose of ships from Star Trek.  Especially if you imagine a Northampton-class (or comparable from another navy) being used by NOAA or the USCG.  A ship of exploration and outreach able to defend itself from just about any threat.

But what of the flattop.

Isn't she pretty?

Now, carriers were initially (at least in the US) based on cruiser or battlecruiser hulls.  Lexington and Saratoga were laid down as battlecruisers, while the Yorktown-class had a similar sized and shaped hull.  Even the HMS Furious transitioned from battlecruiser to flattop, in such an incremental way to show the process that lead to the Big E.

This meant that aircraft carriers were relatively fast.  Still are, in fact.  The Iowa-class had to be fast enough to keep up with the carrier task force.  The first nuclear carrier, named Enterprise, outran her escorts during trials.  The new Ford-class is able to hit at least 35 knots, which is darn fast for a quarter mile of steel.

But compared to the cruisers of World War 2, carriers were pretty lightly gunned.  The biggest guns were 5 inchers, with 40 mm, 20 mm, and machine guns all around.  Initially the Lex and Sara had a few of the original cruiser guns, but once aircraft proved viable, the guns were removed to make space for more planes.  Later on there would be dozens of anti-aircraft guns all over.  Today carriers have no offensive fixed armament, just some anti-air guns and missiles.  Like in WW2, the defense of the carrier is dependent on her escorts.

The strong arm of the carrier is her air wing.  Back in the day, that was a squadron of fighters, two squadrons of dive bombers, and a squadron of torpedo bombers.  Initially the dive bombers were SBD Dauntless, but later replaced by the SB2C Helldiver.  The TBD Devastator torpedo bomber was, thankfully, replaced by TBM Avengers.  The fighters were F4F Wildcats at first, then later the F6F Hellcat or F4U Corsair.  One of the two dive bomber squadrons was the "scouting" squadron, tasked with forward recon to find targets.

So, in a one-on-one fight, based on this scenario, who wins?

The aircraft carrier Enterprise, I'd say wins 9.95 times out of 10.  Now, if the cruiser-version of starship Enterprise can get within gun range, and the aircraft can't stop it soon enough, it will win.  But that will be a rare occurrence.

So lets make it interesting.  Lets take the Enterprise from the original series, the Next Generation, the 2001 TV series, and the reboot film version.  So that's four "cruisers" against a carrier.  Now its 9.8 out of 10 in favor of the Big E.

What gives?  Being outnumbered 4 to 1, and outgunned at least 20 to 1, yet the flattop beats the gunships?

Why does an aircraft carrier beat a cruiser?

Now, there is an answer from history, a current answer, and the sci fi answer that Atomic Rockets disagrees with.  That being said, the Atomic Rockets website is full of great sci fi writing info.  And it leans "hard" sci fi, so much of the stuff they posit is either doable, or potentially doable, in the next couple centuries.

The answer is twofold: "stand-off capability" and "growth potential."

After Pearl Harbor and Taranto, the navies of the world quickly realized that the day of the battleship was near the end.  What good is a multi-million dollar warship able to shoot targets twenty miles away when it can be sunk by a single dive bomber launched from a thousand miles away?  Now, there is plenty of use for the "gunship," and hopefully they come back, somehow.  But that was the key: range.

In the Battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May, 1942), Japanese and American fleets fought each other via airpower alone.  It was the first time in history that two fleets engaged each other without being able to see each other directly.  None of the ships met and traded shots.  Only aircraft.  And with the advent of jets post-war, and later inflight refueling, the range of strike aircraft increased.  Aircraft carriers are major power projectors.  Just one can tip a campaign, if used correctly.

For no other reason than it is a good show.

Now, the sci fi fan here would argue, correctly, that space faring warships can be maneuvered in such a way that fighters as we know it are unnecessary.  But I'll get back to that.  Right after I explain why the battleship died logistically.

Consider, you are the commander of a navy, and your president/king/dictator/whatever wants the fleet to be able to "hit harder, faster, and farther."  And not in another five or six years, after the first of a new class of ship is launched, but pretty much now.  You have battleships and aircraft carriers.  Which do you upgrade?

The battleship has 16 inch guns in three triple turrets.  The carrier has three hydraulic catapults and houses 47 aircraft with 1000 mile combat radiuses.  (Numbers are rough conjecture, not official.  Don't believe me, just rummage through Wiki pages on ships that underwent upgrades and watch the creep.)

To replace the guns on the battleship, one-to-one, requires a lot of work.  The guns themselves are heavier, due to thicker breeches and longer barrels.  The elevation mechanisms are larger too.  Because of this, the turrets must be larger, so as to house the new guns and their loading equipment, which is larger as well.  More crew is needed per gun, since they are larger.  And ammo storage is less, since each round is larger.  The choice is either carry less ammo per gun, or have less overall space to carry the same amount of shots as before.  With larger turrets, though, comes greater weight, which the motors used to rotate the turret must cope with.  Larger motors take up space and add weight.  New barbettes, upon which the turret sits, are needed to support this weight.  The hull, frame, and keel will need strengthening to handle the weight, too.  And the engines will need to be improved to maintain speed, which requires both larger engines and more fuel carried.  More engineering crew will be needed to maintain the devices.  On top of all this, new fire control is needed to accurately lay shots, which adds weight, complexity, and crew.

At the end of the day, just to replace one turret, we're looking at an estimated 100 tons added of material, and around 80+ crew added.  Just for three guns that will increase hit power no more than 50% and range no more than 20%.  This refit will take at least a full year in the yard.

To get the carrier up to spec requires fitting new catapults.  Steam catapults are more powerful than hydraulic, and don't require the large fluid reservoir, only steam from the boilers.  More catapult crew is not needed, though training will be.  This will allow for at least 20% increase in aircraft launch weight.

The aircraft will have an upper limit on footprint and weight, but so long as they can carry the right ordinance, this is not a limiting factor.  Getting then next mark of strike craft with 25% more range will not require any modifications to the carrier.  In fact, very little work on the carrier is needed to greatly increase aircraft capability.  So long as there is space in the hangar, and space for the aircrew and support crew, the plane can deploy.

Net result: less than 20 tons added overall, not including weight of embarked aircraft, and likely no more than two dozen crew added.  Hit power increased 50+% and strike range increased 20+%.  And the best part, this upgrade can be done again every couple years in just a few months.

Now, reshaping the deck with an angle to accommodate jets will be more costly, but after that, the growth curve resets.

A variety pack of Essex-class, post war.  Flavors include long, short, straight deck, angled deck, and bridle catches.

That's the beauty of the aircraft carrier.  Think back to the HMS Dreadnought.  When she was launched in 1906, all other battleships were obsolete.  But by 1919, the trendsetter herself was obsolete.  Less than fifteen years of cutting edge for 1.7 million pounds (1906 rate).  That's not "bargain."

On the other hand, a large number (22 out of 24) of the Essex-class were able to be upgraded for handling jets post-war, as were their replacements, the Midway-class.  In fact, Midway served from 1945 to 1992.

Midway at commissioning, 1945.

Midway en route to southeast Asia, 1972.

Deck evolution of Midway. 1945, 1957, 1970.

And here is the thing that Atomic Rockets, and many "hard sci fi" fans seem to ignore when discussing the validity of "fighters" in science fiction: versatility.

Now, I'm not saying I think the assessment that "a small one-man fighter" is a bit out of place in realistic sci fi is wrong.  But that doesn't mean a "tactical craft" is stupid.

Ditch the idea of the X-Wing, Colonial Viper, and Starfury for a moment.  Think like a space-going mix between the AC-130 Spooky gunship, the AH-64 Apache, and the torpedo boat.  Small crew, lots of guns and missiles, small size, plenty of agility and speed.  Now have a ship designed to carry, launch, support, and service about thirty to sixty of these "damned bats***."  Now have three of these ships sneak up on a battleship centered fleet.  The results should speak for themselves.

Now, maybe a bit of that is bias.  And I'm okay with that, because I'm teasing those thoughts out on my own time, and I think it is possible.  And clearly David Weber (author of the Honorverse) agrees.  Granted, most of the combat in that series is "gunship," like a sci fi Napoleonic war, but there are "torpedo boat" stand-ins.

Don't forget, right as the HMS Dreadnought was being launched, many navies were also playing around with 100ft long (or less) torpedo boats.  These little things carried two or more ship-killing torpedos, and maybe a light gun or two.  Their armor was speed; about 30+ knots early on.  By WW2, its was more like 50 knots.  The idea of small, lightweight, heavy hitting ships is a viable one.  Especially for a navy that does not have the resources to build even a small fleet of cruisers, let alone battleships.

Which brings me back to Star Trek.  I could go and look at the best ships from the whole universe and transfer them to WW2, but I don't think that's possible.  There really is no equivalent to the Borg cube that I know of, for example.

But I can create a hypothetical transfer for the USS Enterprise into space.

So, lets start with Ralph McQuarrie's concept art, and assume that it is a carrier.  After all, that aft opening could be a landing bay.

Some really good artwork based on this found here.

Now, I know I'm biased, but I think that looks better than most incarnations of starship Enterprise.  Regardless, there's our ship.  And lets say she carries 25-30 of these gunship/torpedo boats.  Now, is there any question who wins against the "standard" starship Enterprise?

If you are thinking "well, all it takes is the other ship to warp in close and start laying waste," you've forgotten about the Combat Air Patrol.  Escort aircraft in flight above the carrier just to ward off attacking planes.  Not to mention the alert craft on the catapults for the moment enemies show up.  Maybe not enough to guarantee keeping an attacker from catching someone with their pants down, but its better than nothing but finicky shields and an exposed bridge.

At the end of the day, my beef with Star Trek is still the same:  The name "Enterprise" belongs on a carrier.  Please, please...

(For the record, I wrote this a few weeks ago, before the move.  And, yes, I intend on paring the Big E against something from Star Wars.  Because I can.)

Trinity Sunday (27 May, 2018)

1 + 1 + 1 = 1

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"  And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.  And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."  Isaiah 6:1-7

A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.  The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.  The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.  The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.  The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.  May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!  Psalm 29

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"  "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  Romans 11:33-36

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  
(For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.)"  John 3:1-15

Some things just refuse to be understood.  The Trinity is one of those things.  One God, yet Three Persons.  Coeternal and coequal.  Not made, but having made all things.  Not multiple gods, or a hierarchy, though with an order of authority.  It is almost like a mental Chinese finger trap: the more you work at it, the more "trapped" you get.

The Trinity is one of those "its not in the Bible" things that is, actually, in the Bible.  Granted, the word is not.  The word was made to describe the truth taught in the Bible.  But the Triune God is seen throughout Scripture.

"In the beginning..."  Right there, in the first sentence of the Bible is the Triune God.  The Father, who we confess as Creator, is there, with His spirit hovering over the deep, and He spoke the Word which creates.  The Father, the Word, which is the Son, and the Spirit, who was sent at Pentecost.

We see this Triune God again in the temple.  Isaiah was granted a view into the throne room of God.  There, God the Father sat on His throne before the trembling prophet.  The Word of God was proclaimed to Isaiah, declaring the prophet to be cleansed.  The Spirit of God filled the prophet to go out and speak the truth.

It is this Spirit which brings us to faith in Christ.  Without Christ's atonement in our place we cannot approach the Father.  And the Father loves us.  That is why He created the universe, placed us in it as stewards, and gave us the Law to live by.  And because we corrupted the creation by breaking the Law, He sent His Son to redeem us.  And having redeemed us, He provided the Spirit to give us the peace that passes all human understanding.

East Bound And Down (or) I Should Probably Refrain From Using Song Lyrics As Titles

Well, its official, we've moved.


Yay!


Hurray!


AHHH!

(Deep breaths.  In through nose, out through mouth.)

At the time when this post is put on the blog, we will be in Iowa on our way to Fort Wayne.  We loaded up the truck yesterday, with the help of my parents and three younger siblings.  We'll unload tomorrow, and hopefully have everything settled by the weekend.

The family has been without a home phone or internet since Saturday, and will be for a few more days.  So until Sunday, when the next lectionary post drops, there probably won't be anything new.

In an interesting twist, we loaded up the truck yesterday, which happened to be the festival of Pentecost.  Kinda ironic packing up to move to seminary on the day the Church remembers when the Church "officially" began.

The Day of Pentecost (20 May, 2018)

Can You Hear Me Now?

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.  And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.  And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.  And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech."  So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.  Genesis 11:1-9

A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!  Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.  For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.  Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.  I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.  I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah  Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.  Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!  For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!  And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.  Psalm 143

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.  And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."  And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"  But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"  Acts 2:1-21

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.  These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here."  John 14:23-31

Many of the stories in the Bible bookend each other.  Not always obviously, at first.  One of the most significant that isn't directly involving Christ is the Tower of Babel and Pentecost.

Before His ascension, Christ told the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would be given to them.  Through His power, they would have the ability to proclaim the Gospel.  Now, while this same promise is granted to us, through God-given faith, the Apostles were granted special ability to bridge gaps, as it were.

After the flood, humanity stayed in relatively unified.  Instead of doing as God commanded and spreading out into the world, they gathered in one place and sought to make a monument to their own "greatness."  To halt this unified wicked effort, God scattered the people and scrambled their languages.  And ever since people have shouted at each other without understanding what is being said.

That all changed at Pentecost.  The Apostles started preaching the good news of Christ crucified and risen.  In every language.  Does that mean they spoke some special "mother tongue" that everyone understood, or that through miraculous means God "auto-translated" what they spoke into each language, or that they merely were suddenly able to speak each individual language?  Who knows.

Most will want to focus on the "speaking in tongues" aspect of this story.  Some so much so that it becomes justification for various actions.  But the focus here is not on that miraculous event, but on the first example of "reunifying" humanity.

Many people in the church today want to promote unity.  But what kind of unity, and at what cost?  Unity should mean that everyone agrees on what truth is, and what standards by which we are to live.  Most who call for "unity" don't mean that.  They just want to ignore the problems to have superficial unity.  But the Apostles brought true unity.

That is what the Gospel is.  This good news is the reunification of humanity, under the headship of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.  That is the message proclaimed by St. Peter and the Apostles on Pentecost.  The only way that we, as a Church and as humanity, reach true unity is by faith in Christ crucified and risen for our sins.

Seventh Sunday of Easter - Exaudi (13 May, 2018)

Reboot

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.  And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.  I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."  Ezekiel 36:22-28

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.  Psalm 51:1-12

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.  If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.  1 Peter 4:7-14

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.  ...  I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you."  John 15:26-16:4

In a way, the story of salvation could be viewed as a universe-scale reboot.  Things were set into motion, and everything was good and functioning perfectly.  Then things got "buggy," to understate the dire depravity that came from the Fall.  A fix was needed.  Something more than a "band-aid solution" with a temporary solution.  No, a permanent fix.

The nation of Israel was to be a multi-faceted part of that plan to fix the universe.  On one hand, they were to be the example of how to live right with God.  They were directly given the Law, and taught how to live within that law.  They were also to be the messengers of God's promise of salvation, proclaiming the truth that they were given at Sinai to all.  Most importantly, they were to be the people who the Messiah would live among.

Unfortunately, Israel failed at the first two tasks.  They rejected the covenant God made with them and abandoned the promise given to Adam and Eve.  Numerous prophets were sent to call them to repentance.  God spoke through Ezekiel about how the chosen people of God have profaned His name instead of proclaimed it to the world.  On a personal level even David, the "man after God's own heart," royally screwed up.  When given to choice between what felt good and what was right, the king of Israel chose to satisfy himself instead of following God's law.  But David isn't anything special.  We are told that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  (Romans 3:23)

Our knee-jerk reaction, as humans, is to do what feels good for us.  Trouble comes our way and we want to either avoid it or ignore it so that we are not made uncomfortable.  Fight or flight.  We either run from our pains, or we fight back against the consequences of our actions, justifying what we've done based on some arbitrary standard.  Because God want's me to be happy, right?

That's not what Christ taught us.  He said "they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me."  Later in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the disciples that there will be trouble (16:33).  He doesn't say that they are to fight back, bury our heads in the sand, or run away.  Instead, St. Peter tells us not to be surprised that we are suffering because of the promise we proclaim.  People do not like being told that their actions are hurting themselves, other people, and God.  They fight back against the truth of the Law and Gospel.

We want to fight against that truth, too.  David struggled with the consequences of his sin.  His prayer of repentance should be our prayer.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.  And thanks to Christ's death and resurrection, we can boldly ask the Father for this forgiveness.

Got A New Label (or) Sorry I Don't Have A Bigger Table

So, I'm going to be posting stuff from Seminary.  Things like "frontline reports" regarding what I'm doing, and papers (etc) that might be worth sharing.  (I hope they all are.)

Anything that fits that stuff will be labeled "Table Scraps."

Yes, this is a rip-off of Luther's table talks.

The Ascension of Our Lord (10 May, 2018)

He'll Be Back

The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know it; keep quiet."  Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.  Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.  Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.  When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me."  And he said, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so."  And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.  And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.  Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.  Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.  2 Kings 2:5-15

A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."  The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!  Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.  The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."  The Lord is at your right hand; He will shatter kings on the day of His wrath.  He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; He will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.  He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore He will lift up His head.  Psalm 110

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen.  He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."  So when they had come together, they asked Him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"  He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.  And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven."  Acts 1:1-11

Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."  So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.  Mark 16:14-20

Then He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them.  While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.  Luke 24:44-53

General MacArthur said it and did it.  The Terminator said it and did it (sorta).  Back To The Future teased the sequel with the phrase.  The wizard feared He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (aka Tom) would do it.  No one expected Gandalf or Aslan to do it.  Uncountable television and radio hosts implored their audience to "say tuned" since the show would do it.

Like all of these pop-culture figures, Christ Jesus promised to return.

As with the original Caesar, Jesus came and conquered.  Only His foes were not a mere occupying army or usurping monarch, but Sin, Death, and Satan.  These He vanquished.  But the earthly kingdom that some where waiting for was not to be.  Instead the conquering King returned to the Father.

And He will return, only this time, to stay.

In the mean time, the followers of the King were given assignments.  They had seen the Good News, now they needed to proclaim it to all.  Not just the news that Good had triumphed over evil, but that He would do what no other deity could do: come back.

And so our King leaves for His Father's throne, where He prepares a place for us.  Until His return, let us proclaim His victory!

A Bit Of An Update/Reword/Hiatus (or) Got A Plan But Need The Background First

Okay, so a few months ago I started fiddling around with discussing the Two Kingdoms concept (for lack of better term off the top of my head), the Armor of God, and Heresies.

Yeah, that's being shelved for a while.

The initial "why" is because my family and I are moving before the end of the month.  We are (finally) moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I am enrolled at Concordia Theological Seminary.

(It's official.  Yay!)

The summer Greek class at Seminary starts in June, so I'll be quite busy for the next few years (and after, to be honest).  That probably means less content here, at least until I figure out the balance of work.  That also means working on how I teach and preach.  But I've already invested a lot in the "knight" and "soldier" metaphors as teaching tools, so I won't be tossing everything away, but some readjustments are likely needed.

What this all means is I'll be dialing back on the "original" theological content, except for weekly devotions and thoughts on the readings and possibly posting essays and papers from class.  I intend on weekly "reports from the frontline" as I progress through seminary, as well.

Once I get a better handle on stuff, I'll be back with "big stuff," like the Two Kingdoms, Three Estates, and Soldiers.  They'll be teasers, prototypes, and table scraps along the way, especially since I'm trying to figure out how to set up a podcast on Church history, especially early Church history.  More on that when I get things worked through and get more of the history under my belt.

*Other randomness I post here, like aircraft and Star Wars, may or may not be effected by this move.

Sixth Sunday of Easter - Rogate (6 May, 2018)

Stand fast

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.  And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."  Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.  And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.  And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.  Number 21:4-9

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.  Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.  He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.  Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man!  For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.  Psalm 107:1-9

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.  1 Timothy 2:1-6

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1:22-27

"In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.  In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."  His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!  Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God."  [Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?  Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."]  John 16:23-30 (31-33)

We live in tumultuous times.  Maybe not as uncertain as the last weeks the Disciples had with Jesus, but shifting none the less.

The Disciples had it even worse.  Everything seemed to fall apart.  Jesus was killed, the Jewish leaders spread stories about a stolen body, and some of the group might have seen a ghost.  Only they didn't see a ghost; they saw the resurrected Jesus Christ.

Jesus spent forty days giving His last instructions to them.  Not just to prepare them for the task that lay ahead, but to reassure them.  Things were not going to get easier.  In fact, things would go from bad to worse.  Out of the frying pan and into the blast furnace.

But Jesus reminded them: "In this world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world."  What was their to be afraid of?  Jesus had redeemed them, and all creation.  The steadfast love the psalmist wrote about is what Christ delivered to us when He delivered us.

He is the Rock upon which the Church rests.  Our strong tower when all other hope fails.  The pilot who guides us to safe waters.  Like the serpent raised up by Moses in the wilderness, we look to Him to heal us from our sin.  Because no other counterfeit savior can redeem us.